The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured electorates in Osun state that their votes will count in the 2026 governorship election.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, who gave the assurance at the state office of the commission during the stakeholders’ engagement in Osogbo, Wednesday, stated that there will be no election without the Permanent Voter Card (PVC).
He also said the Osun election will be conducted in line with the Electoral Act 2022 and promised to communicate to the stakeholders if the changes at the National Assembly will affect the election.
Agboke who sought the support of the media in the campaign against vote buying, urged the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) to ensure that their parties avoid hate speech during campaign activities.
He expressed concern over refusal of residents to collect their PVC, noting that Osun is on top in the number of uncollected PVC.
He said, presently, number of registered voters is 1, 954,800; number of permanent voter cards (PVCs) collected is 1, 594,006; number of uncollected PVCs is 360,794; number of Registration Areas/Electoral Wards is 332; number of Polling Units is 3763. A critical examination of the above statistics has shown the large number of PVCs uncollected in Osun state. Concerted efforts are being made with the stakeholders to continue to create the awareness for the electorates, not just to register, but to ensure the collection of the cards.